Britain mourns loss of famous pro-Palestine, anti-war 'rebel'
Britain is mourning the loss of World War II veteran Harry Leslie Smith who famously defended social justice, called for the boycott of “apartheid” Israel and condemned UK austerity measures and the lack of support for refugees.
Smith, who lived through the Great Depression and always described himself as the “world’s oldest rebel”, died Wednesday in a Canadian hospital while visiting his son John in Ontario.. He was 95.
His son announced his death on Smith's official Twitter account.
“At 3:39 this morning, my dad Harry Leslie Smith died. I am an orphan. #istandwithharry,” read the post.
At 3:39 this morning, my dad Harry Leslie Smith died. I am an orphan. #istandwithharry
— Harry Leslie Smith (@Harryslaststand) November 28, 2018
The son of a miner, Smith joined the Royal Air Force in 1941 and served in the World War ll.
After retiring, he became a prominent campaigner against austerity measures, social injustice and racism, with his own podcast and Twitter account which was followed by more than 230,000 people.
He was the author of several books about Britain during the Great Depression, the world war and post-war austerity. His books included Love Among the Ruins and Don’t Let My Past Be Your Future.
A fierce moral campaigner, Smith was infamous for speaking out on a wide variety of issues including the Palestine-Israel conflict and anti-war movements.
Smith was a strong critic of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's crimes against Palestinians while he openly called for a boycott of “apartheid” Israel.
Make no mistake, Israel has just passed a law that makes it an official apartheid state which means boycotting Israel is the only moral choice to stop this outrage. https://t.co/U8dHkOmWwP #Israel
— Harry Leslie Smith (@Harryslaststand) July 19, 2018
This is apartheid and I am afraid just like South Africa in the 1970s, the world has got to start boycotting Israel. https://t.co/AHvmIPyTF2 #israel
— Harry Leslie Smith (@Harryslaststand) July 15, 2018
The war veteran rose to fame in 2014 after giving a powerful speech at a UK Labour Party convention and documented his fight for social justice in a podcast called Harry’s Last Stand.
He wanted to “document this preventable tragedy”, he said. A video essay he produced with the British newspaper The Guardian on the refugee crisis has been viewed more than two million times.
Following the news of Smith's death, senior Labour Party figures took to social media to express their sorrow at the loss of the famous pro-Labour campaigner.
“We will all miss Harry Leslie Smith – he was one of the giants whose shoulders we stand on,” read a tweet by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
We will all miss Harry Leslie Smith - he was one of the giants whose shoulders we stand on.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 28, 2018
A World War Two veteran who dedicated his life to fighting for our National Health Service, a peaceful world and for countries to meet their moral responsibility by welcoming refugees. pic.twitter.com/1RW63dSa6Y
“A world war two veteran who dedicated his life to fighting for our National Health Service, a peaceful world and for countries to meet their moral responsibility by welcoming refugees," said Corbyn.
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